Andrew Scott grew up in Dublin, Ireland with an older and a younger sister, Sarah and Hannah. His father, Jim, worked in the Fas government employment agency, and his mother, Nora, taught art at a secondary school. Andrew attended Gonzaga, a Jesuit school for boys on the south side of Dublin. From the age of 8 he took drama classes for children on Saturdays at the Anne Kavanagh school, and then in his early twenties he helped tutor younger students. He made two commercials for Irish television, for Flahavan's Porridge and Disney/Fanta.
At 17 Andrew starred in his first professional role in the 1994 Irish drama "Korea." Later that year, he matriculated into Trinity College in Dublin to begin a degree in drama, but left after six months. He went on to perform at the Abbey Theatre, the national theater of Ireland, in four plays.
In early 2000 Scott moved to London for a supporting role in "Longitude," a multi-part television movie starring Michael Gambon. Scott played many roles on the stage and received two Olivier awards. In 2006, Scott made his Broadway debut in David Hare's "The Vertical Hour" starring with Bill Nighy and Julianne Moore. He was nominated for a Drama League award for his role.
Occasional film and television work in Britain, Ireland and America interspersed his stage career. Most notable of these was "Band of Brothers," "John Adams," and the television comedy series, "My Life in Film."
"Sherlock," a modern-day revamp of the classic stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for BBC Television proved to be a turning point in Scott's career in 2010 when he gained notice as Moriarty, the fictional detective's nemesis.
Scott starred in the play, "Birdland" by Simon Stephens, in the spring of 2014, where he played the role of a jaded rock star contemplating the meaning of fame. His film work stepped up considerably with roles in several important movies including 20th Century Fox's James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe starrer, "Frankenstein" released in 2015.
